Atlanta Public Schools issued a statement late Friday that said no decision has been made yet on whether masks will be mandated when classes begin on Aug. 5.

“We believe it is important to follow our community engagement protocols and are meeting with our community health partners in the coming days to determine next steps,” the statement said.

A decision will be made before classes begin, the statement said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently said individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 need not wear masks in schools. At present, children under age 12 are not eligible for vaccines.

Clayton and DeKalb county school districts recently said masks will be required for students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, when the 2021-2021 school year begins.

The Cobb County district said Thursday that masks will remain optional when school begins on Aug. 2. The district said that next week it will announce updated protocols to safeguard against the coronavirus.

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Students stand on a balcony at the John Lewis Student Center on the campus of  Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com